Game apparatus



Apr. 3, 1923. 1,45,874

' K. o. STROMEE GAME APPARATUS Filed Apr. 19, 1921 w/msses v mum/woe /f.0. swan m5 I Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

stares TENT GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed April 19, 1921.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL O. STROMEE, a

citizen of theUnited States, and a residentof San Bernardino, in thecounty of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented a newand Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus, an object ofthe invention beingto provide a game apparatus consisting of blocks orrectangular game pieces having numearls thereon arranged in an improvedmanner, whereby a game or games may be played which exercise the mentalfaculty in problems of arithmetic and which constitutes a game of skillas well as of chance.

A further object is to provide a game apparatus of the character stated,which can be employed in the playing of a game by children or adults,and which apparatus lends itself to a wide variety of play to exercisethe ingenuity of the player-s and vary the results obtained.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, and combinations and arrangements ofparts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating oneassemblage of my improved game apparatus.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the game pieces or blocks.

My improved game apparatus comprises a series of game pieces or blocks 1which may be of any desired thickness and of any desired material. Eachblock or game piece is preferably rectangular in form having sides ofequal length, although the invention is not limited to the particulardimensions or proportions of the game pieces or blocks.

On one face of each game piece or block I provide four numerals 2, anumeral being provided preferably at the center of each side with itsbase adjacent the side indicated by the numeral. Certain of these gamepieces or blocks will contain four numerals which are alike, and thesegame pieces will be known in the game as quads. The other game pieces orblocks will contain four numerals arranged in pairs, or, in other words,two of the numerals being alike and Seria1 No. 462,574.

differing from the other two numerals whichare also alike.

These game pieces or game apparatus can be employed in a great manydiiferent ways in the playing of a game or games. I have illustrated inFigure 1 a lay-out or plan of play in one particular instance, whichwill serve as an illustration.

The invention is not limited to any particular number of game pieces orblocks, but I believe a preferable number to be forty-five of suchpieces or blocks, each block having four figures and all in differentcombinations ranging from O to 8.

My invention is not limited to any particular rules for playing thegame, nor to any particular game played by the game pieces, but isbroadly to the use of the game pieces for any game in which they may beutilized.

The invention is not limited to the rules of play, but for purposes ofillustration I shall give a very simple outline of one man ner ofutilizing the game pieces. All of the game pieces are located facedownwardly upon the table or other support, and each player draws acertain number for his own use. The game pieces remaining may be knownas the boneyard and from this boneyard each player may turn up insuccession one piece until a quad piece is located, on which all thenumerals are alike. This-piece is then placed face upward on the tableand is the starting point for the game. The players in turn then placepieces against the sides of the quad piece, always using a game piece inwhich the numeral registers with the numeral at the side of the quad, asindicated in Figure 1.

The points in the game are preferably in units of 5 so that if thenumerals on the exposed sides of the end game pieces total a numberwhich can be divided by 5, the player adds to his score such a number ofpoints, as, for example, it willv be noted in Figure 1 that the sumtotalv of the end game pieces amount to and as this is divisible by 5,it counts thirteen for the player.

It is possible with this game apparatus to play solitaire or to playwith different numbers of players, and as I do not wish to be limited toany particular rules for playing the game, it is not necessary to limitmy self thereto as I desire to cover broadly the game apparatus and tosecure claims thereon which will cover the use of said apparatus for anygames in which they may be utilized as game pieces.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangementof the parts described Without departing from the invention, and hence Ido not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but considermyself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fallWithin the spirit and scope of the appended clams.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus, comprising a plurality of rectangular blocks, eachprovided on one face with four numerals, one at the center of each ofits sides, the numerals of certain of the blocks being all alike and thenumerals of each of the other blocks being different and arranged inpairs, the numerals of the pairs being alike and the numeral of one pairbeing different from the numerals of the other pair.

2. A game apparatus, comprising a plu rality of polygonal pieces, eachprovided oii one face with four numerals each at one edge of the piece,certain of the pieces hav ing numerals all alike and each of the otherpieces having different numerals and arranged in pairs, the numerals ofthe pairs being alike and the numerals of one pair being different fromthe numerals of the other pair.

KARL OTTO STROMEE.

